Social fuctions of euphemisms

Newer terms have emerged, such as born still, perinatal loss rather than pregnancy losseven a popular lay term, angels forever, has formed.

The English language is full of common euphemisms, phrases which we use every day to avoid saying something directly, often without even realizing we are using a euphemism.

But what are some of the Social fuctions of euphemisms common euphemisms used today, and what do they actually mean? This one is used to avoid mentioning death, and with euphemisms being used to avoid discussing unpleasant topics, it is unsurprising that so many common ones relate to death.

A Few Sandwiches Short of a Picnic This is one of the fairly amusing everyday euphemisms and is used to suggest that somebody is a little bit intellectually challenged oh no, not another euphemism! You can see where the phrase comes from, because the animals just die as peacefully as if they were drifting off to sleep.

A lot of people use it to describe somebody who is overweight, while others understand it to really describe somebody who is just lazy, whatever size they are. One theory is that it comes from the use of hanging as a method of execution, where the victim was stood on an upturned bucket until it was kicked out from under them, and they died.

Differently Abled One of the nicest common euphemisms we have, we can describe someone as differently abled to avoid saying they are disabled. Visually Challenged This is another euphemism about people having disabilities, although this one is specifically about being blind or partially sighted.

It implies a sense of achievement, and sexual conquest, which is perhaps why it is more commonly used by men. We seem to love avoiding talking about it directly. A Few Extra Pounds When you find yourself discussing someone that you recently saw and want to express your opinion about your observations, it is much more polite to say that they have gained a few extra pounds than bluntly calling them fat.

Weight is a sensitive subject especially for women, which is why we all avoid blurting out words like obese, fat, and overweight.

All it really means is that we need to use the toilet. However instead most people word it differently in order to appear polite and less harsh.

On The Streets When you are describing someone with an unfortunate lifestyle or history, you try to refrain from describing them as homeless or as a bum. One of the common ways to express the same idea is to say that the person spend a big chunk of his or her life on the streets.

Categorical Inaccuracy When ordinary people conceal the truth and say something that is not consistent with the facts, that is considered lying. However when it comes to politics it is all different.

If somebody in power is not saying the truth, it is incompetent to call them liars instead we say that there were categorical inaccuracies in what they said.

However ordinary people like us, usually say that the person lost his or her marbles instead of stating that they are nuts, mad, or kooky. Although these euphemisms are vague, sometimes they can still sound hurtful to the people with the mental problems.

Over The Hill We all know that age is a sensitive subject to all women, after all who is looking forward to getting grey hair, wrinkles and sagging skin. There are better words to refer to people who have reached the climax of their life time by saying that they are over the hill.

Between Jobs Unemployment rates are high, especially in the current state of the economy and some people are suffering financially. Many have been cut and now are having a hard time finding a permanent job but instead of referring to themselves as unemployed these people say that they are between jobs.This part will discuss the following social functions of English euphemism: English euphemism as an avoidance of taboo, English euphemism to express politeness, English euphemism to create tactful speech and poetic functions of English euphemism.

English Euphemism as an Avoidance of Taboo Taboo exists in all known cultures, referring to certain acts, objects or relationship which society . Function of Euphemism Euphemism helps writers convey those ideas that have become a social taboo, and are too embarrassing to mention directly. Writers skillfully choose appropriate words to refer to and discuss a subject indirectly that otherwise might not published due to strict social censorship, such as for reasons of religious fanaticism, political theories, sexuality, and death.

The study of English euphemism can help us understand the western Culture and promote the international Development because euphemism is widely used in international negotiations.

So there is a great need for us to study English euphemism, including: its origin, its social function, etc. euphemism is a polite expression used in place of words or phrases that otherwise might be considered harsh or unpleasant to hear.

These phrases are used regularly, and there are many examples of euphemisms in everyday language. ) Social communicative functions of English euphemism English euphemisms are widely used in every aspect of social life. Hugh Rawson, an American famous scholar, has declared that we could not live, even one day, without using euphemisms.

Social functions: interacting with other people (socializing, establishing and maintaining relationships, creating/breaking barriers, influencing people, giving feedback, arguing, avoiding trouble) Self-expressive functions: expressing opinions and emotions.